As a way of saying thanks to fire and police officers who gave up their Thanksgiving in order to protect and serve, Generations Federal Credit Union donated a fresh turkey to every fire station and a pre-cooked ham to every police station in San Antonio on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

This is the second year that GFCU has spearheaded their "Turkey Express" community program for the local firefighters and police officers. H-E-B also partnered with the credit union and donated the coolers that were used to transport the turkeys and hams to all of the stations.

Fire Station #1 served as the volunteer hub as Generations FCU volunteers and dignitaries from the Fire Department sorted and distributed the turkeys to the 51 fire stations, the SAFD Command Center, and the seven SAPD substations across the community. Members of the military were also on hand to assist with loading the turkeys into volunteer vehicles.

"Many people don’t realize that firemen and policemen have to give up holidays with their families in order to keep our families safe," said Steve Schipull, president and CEO of GFCU. "We wanted to take this opportunity to thank them for everything they do, day in and day out, for our community. It's a sacrifice, and we want to acknowledge that."

Nearly half of all fire stations in San Antonio host trainees from Lackland Air Force Base for Operation Home Cooking. The program, currently in its 38th year, places soldiers, sailors, and airmen from area military bases with local volunteer families.

"Generations Federal Credit Union was founded by a group of fire, police, and city employees in 1940," Schipull said. "While we serve everyone in San Antonio, this is a great opportunity for us to reach out to our original members and let them know we are supporting them every step of the way."